Volume 2, Number 7 - Spring 1966
Thomas John Carter and Sarah Frances Wooley
By Leslie Jewell Carter
Sarah Frances Wooley Carter and husband, Thomas John Carter, Jr., in 1889.
They were married October 30, 1859 at the residence of William Andrew Carr, Galena, Stone County, Missouri, by the Justice of the Peace, Ruben Mayberry. Witnessed by Jacob Yocum and Christeny Wooley (sister of Sarah Frances Wooley). These witness’s were later married on September 17, 1865. Thomas J. Carter, Jr., was born - December 17, 1833 in Linden, Perry County, Tennessee. He was the only child of Thomas J. Carter, Sr., and Rebecca Jackson Carter. Rebecca was born in North Carolina. Thomas J. Carter, Sr., was helping to dig a well by hand when it caved in on him, and ‘killed him about three months before my Grandpa was born. His mother came to Tennessee from North Carolina with her brother, William, and his wife, Charlotte Kerus Jackson. When they moved to Missouri, Rebecca and son came with them. She married soon after to John Sullivan. Grandpa was raised by his Uncle William and Aunt Charlotte.
Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan had nine children: William, Ellen, Allen, John, Matilda and four others (who died young). They first lived in Stone County; moved to Greene County then to Lawrence County and back to Stone County, where Mrs. Rebecca Sullivan died. (I’d like to hear from anyone who can tell me of these descendents of John, Sr., and Rebecca Sullivan).
Thomas J. Carter, Jr., served in the Army from 1861 to the close of the Civil War in 1865. He was first in the Home Guards and State Militia until he joined Co. B. 15th Mo. Vol. Cavalry. He participated in the engagement at Springfield, Missouri when the Federal troops were attacked by Marmaduke; he was captured once, held prisoner for a short time in Southwest Missouri. In politics he was independent, voting for the man, not his politics. He cast his first vote for Filmore.
Thomas J. Carter and his wife had twelve children, only raised four. They homesteaded a section of land after the Civil War in "King’s Prairie Township." Four and ½ miles Southeast of Monett, Barry County, Missouri. Grandpa was called "Uncle Jonce" by his friends, and his wife was called "Aunt Sarah."
People in those days helped one another more than they do today. Grandma told me how she and Grandpa first met. Her mother was a widow with five girls and one son. One daughter died young. Grandma’s grandparents were Levi Wooley, Sr., and Marguerite Turnbow or Turn-bough. Her parents were William C. Wooley and Catherine Williams Wooley. Their children were: (1) Sarah Frances, who married Thomas J. Carter, (2) Ailcy Jane Wooley who married Dewitt C. Clinton Carr, (3) Elizabeth Wooley, (4) Christeny Wooley married Jacob Yocum, (5) Joseph Laney Wooley, (6) Margaret Wooley who married Dr. William Patton and (7) Emaline died when only a few months old.
Grandma Sarah was born on her father’s birthday December 12, 1840. Her father, William C. Wooley, was born December 12, 1820, died January 4, 1854. A younger sister was born on their mother’s birthday. Ailcy Jane Wooley, born May 16, 1842. Their mother, Catherine Williams Wooley, was born May 16, 1824 and died February 28, 1905 in Monett, Missouri and is buried in King’s Prairie Cemetery. Catherine Williams Wooley was the daughter of John Barnett Williams and Alace Lewis. She cooked for some men in a lumber camp. Her two older daughters helped her. Grandma Sarah was the oldest and one of the men was Thomas J. Carter, Jr. They fell in love and
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were married. The lumber company gave them material to build a two room house. (Grandma told me "laughingly" that she and grandpa slept on the floor and covered with the door). They didn’t have the doors or windows put up yet. Grandpa made their furniture of oak, kitchen table, cupboards, bed and chairs. They were corded across. They made a straw tick for their mattress and a feather bed to put over that. They saved feathers to fill that and for their pillows. Spun wool and made blankets (I have one of them). Made cloth for their clothes, quilts for their bed covers. Melted sheep tallow and made their candles.
After the Civil War they homesteaded a section of land in King’s Prairie Township. They built a four room frame house built lengthwise. It was painted white, trimmed in brown. They planted their first orchard on May 1, 1866, just a couple of days before my father was born on May 3. In later years, between 1895 and 1900, this house burned. Then they built a two-story 6 room house painted all white (across the road from the house that burned). I remember the old house, even tho I was quite young.
Joseph Leonard Carter, taken in 1889 when he was just married and was a school teacher, King's Prairie Community, Monett, Mo.
I was born in Monett, Missouri, July 12, 1895. Grandma had a set of white dishes, trimmed with a brown rim around and an oak leaf in the middle of them. When the house was afire she carried most of her dishes outside in her long white apron and saved most of them. (I have one of the pie plates). She lived to be over 91 years old. Seldom ever "poorly," (as she would say). She died March 15, 1932. She outlived her husband about 24 years.
When each of their children were married Grandpa gave each several acres of land. Also deeded land to the Township of Kings Prairie in 1885 for a school, a church and a cemetery. He and his three sons and neighbors built the church. It was finished in 1892. First called "King’s Prairie Church," later the New Liberty Methodist Church. My father built the pews of oak lumber. They are still being used. The church has been taken good care of and is in fine shape. The first Pastor was Felix E. Hammer.
My father, Joseph Leonard Carter, was the oldest child to live long. He was teaching school on the Prairie when he and Mamma were married on Thanksgiving Day, November 28, 1889. Her name was Laura Emma Williams. She was the daughter of Mary Jane Carr and James Thomas Williams. She was born August 11, 1867 at Carney’s Branch, Missouri. They had 3 children: Girard, Jewell and Paul Carter.
Papa died February 7, 1948, and Mamma died December 15, 1929. Papa and Mamma were married at her oldest sister’s home at Verona, Missouri, at Mrs. Melissa Batesel’s. They were shivareed twice at her sister’s and at his parent’s home, where they lived until they got their home built. My father liked carpenter work the best. He built several houses in Monett. Our home there was on the corner of 9th and Broadway, where a Safeway Store is now.
We came to Las Animas, Colorado in June of 1904 for Mamma’s health. She had Asthma. Dr. Dusenberry advised her to try Colorado. She was better. We lived there a few years, then at Fowler, Colorado, came to Pueblo in 1915 and lived here the rest of their lives. Papa was also a photographer in Las Animas. Built houses and a church in Fowler and houses in Pueblo.
Next child of Grandpa and Grandma’s to live long was Christopher Columbus Carter. He was born May 21, 1871 and died April 10, 1948 (two months after my father died). C. C. Carter married Cora Belle Stribling February 4, 1894. They had 8 children: Ethel, Floyd, Felix, Bessie, Bernice, (twins) Fay and Fern, and Dorcas Carter.
Uncle Cris had a sorghum mill on his corner of land at the cross roads. They called it "Carter’s Corners." Three of the corners were corners of
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land belonging to Carter’s. In 1895 Uncle Cris built a General Merchandise Store. Had farm machinery, farm produce, groceries and dry goods. This store burned on July 13, 1916. Near the store building was a flour and feed mill. Later it was converted into a canning factory. In 1924 he and F. M. Powell (father of Dr. Russell Powell of Monett, Missouri), built a much larger canning factory on Little Flat Creek near Calton Mill; Verona, Missouri. Later Mr. Powell sold his interest in the canning factory to Elba and Charles Calton. Later Mr. Carter bought the Calton’s interest and operated the business alone for 15 years.
Third child of Sarah and Thomas J. Carter to live long was a daughter, Sarah Columbia Carter Todd. She was born September 9, 1873 and died May 27, 1894. She was married to Loranzo Dow Todd on November 3, 1894. They had eight children: Amos, Edith, Lawrence, Jacob, Jack, Carter, Lincoln and Robert Todd. They lived mostly in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Uncle Dow is living with his daughter, Mrs. Edith Bailey, now in Tulsa. He was born December 26, 1869 in Verona, Barry County, Missouri. His parents were Andrew Jackson Todd and Odia Caroline Marbut Todd.
Grandpa and Grandma Carter’s fourth child to live long was Jacob Walton Carter. He was born June 17, 1875, and died March 2, 1958. He lived with his parents, and took care of them. He was a good farmer; especially raised good corn. The summer I was 13 years old, I spent the whole summer at my grandparents and enjoyed every moment of it. I loved to follow Uncle Jake around the field when he’d plow and plant corn, so did the crows, they’d pick up every grain of corn that wasn’t covered. At harvest time there was a new straw stack I had fun rolling down until Uncle Jake found out.
I helped gather apples and helped Grandma fix them to dry. Also dried peaches (yellow jackets sure liked them). I learned to dig potatoes, churn butter in a long handle churn you pull up and down. Of a morning I’d hear the old coffee grinder going. I knew it was time to get up and how good the biscuits, salt pork and gravy were and some kind of fruit Grandma had canned. I helped gather wild gooseberries and later wild blackberries, but I didn’t like the chiggers. Guess I tried everything that summer. When I was only five, my father had me helping him to plant garden; and I’ve planted a garden every year since, either vegetables or flowers; and canned fruit and make jelly and give to my children and friends.
That summer I also drove Grandma’s old white horse, "Billy," to town for her. She didn’t want to go fast, she wanted to see what her neighbors had planted. I found out it wasn’t polite to pass anyone on the road that you knew without stopping and visiting awhile. In early days Grandma said they worked hard all week. On Saturdays the ladies would bake and fix for Sunday dinner. Next morning they’d leave early as they had a long ways to go to church. At noon they’d spread their basket dinner’s together and visit with their friends, hear all the news of the week. When I first started to piece my first quilt, Grandma told me to "be sure your corners meet." I have never forgotten that, even tho I have pieced, quilted or set together over 200 quilts since then.
Uncle Jake was married to Lillie Woods on July 3, 1909. Her parents were Peter Edwin Woods and Olive Harrison Owens Woods. Uncle Jake and Aunt Lillie had five children: Frances, Anna Leonard, Ida, and Gladys. The Carter’s were all good church goers and sincere in their love of God. The "New Liberty Church" on Kings Prairie is very dear to us all. In 1899, they held an annual Meeting of the Association of the Sunday Schools of Kings Prairie Township. It was held in "Carter’s Grove" (a corner of Grandpa and Grandma Thomas J. Carter’s land at the cross-roads). Six schools assembled at the church and formed a procession in the following order; New Liberty, with 80 members; Mt. Pisgah, 75 members; New Salem, 40 members; Pleasant Ridge, 100 members; Mt. Grove, 30 members; and Bethel, 75 members. In this order they marched three fourths of a mile from the church to the Grove, with songs and beautiful banners floating in the breeze. At the Grove a stand and seats had been prepared for their use, and for guests. The Swedish school didn’t take part in the March, but met them there. Exercises began at 10 a. m. At noon, they adjourned for dinner, from the "well filled baskets" of food they had brought. They had a bountiful feast. Everyone was invited to "help themselves." At 1:30 p. m., the assembly was called to order and Rev. Levi Allen conducted the devotional exercises. Next was the election of Township Officers for the ensuing year, as follows: Bradford Slocum Stribling was made President of the Sunday Schools, William Burroughs as Vice President, John Walton as Secretary-Treasurer. B. S. Stribling was President for eight years. Each year there were from 800 to 1000 people present at these gathering’s in Carter’s Grove.
Bradford Slocum Stribling was born August 3, 1840 and died May 20, 1922. He married Dorcas Elizabeth Alexander January 16, 1862 by Ministers Rev. Combs and Rev. Goodnight. Dorcas Elizabeth was born July 16, 1844 and died January 2, 1917. They had six children: Erastus R, Eva May, Cora
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Belle, Simney, Rev. Elby Rankin and Ella Pearl Stribling. Erastus and Simney died when only one month old each. Ella Pearl married William J. O’Neil in 1901 and died March 1, 1906. They had a son, Claud, a daughter, Jewell. Eva May married William Allen Jackson January 6, 1892. They had four children: Roscoe A., Madge, Gladys and Edna Jackson. Rev. Elby Stribling married Mary Luella Burkholder March 4, 1900. They had six children: Troy, Mildred, Mable, Ethel, Georgia, and Roy Bradford Stribling. Roy Bradford is a minister in Sedalia, Missouri now and has been for a few years. He was a minister in Springfield, Missouri for several years before that.
Three Wooley sisters: Ailcy Wooley Carr, born May 16, 1842, on her mother's birthday; Sarah Frances Wooley Carter, born December 12, 1840, on her father's birthday; Christenny Wooley Yocum, born January 25, 1847, on their sister Elizabeth's birthday. Picture taken in front of Grandma Sarah Carter's house by her son, Joseph Leonard Carter, about 1902.
My first husband was Horace Henry Hutterman of Bisbee, Arizona. We were married at my parents home, 712 Veta Avenue, Pueblo, Colorado, on May 20, 1917. We went to see his folks and let them see our baby, Leonard Lewis Hutterman, and to see Henry’s baby sister, Hazel, who was just two months older then our baby. Hazel and Henry both came down with pneumonia December 26 and both died on January 3, 1919 on Hazel’s birthday. She was one year old.
After two years, I married again. Felix Loaf Carter and I were married January 29, 1921 on his 21st birthday in Pueblo, Colorado at my parent’s home. He was a railroad man. He first worked at the Freight House in Monett, Missouri, at the age of 15, then he went to Tulsa, Oklahoma and worked for the railroad there. He came to Pueblo, Colorado in 1920 on a visit but stayed. He worked for the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad from then until he passed away on September 18, 1964. All together he only lacked a few months of working for the railroads for fifty years. He was Chief Car Clerk the last few years.
We had three children. First was Geraldine Jewell Carter, born November 16, 1921. Second was Felix Lawrence Carter, born June 18, 1923. Third was William Glenn Carter, born September 10, 1925. Lawrence passed away on November 8, 1939 in Pueblo. He was over 16 years old. He was very talented. They called him a "Genius." He was like the "Quiz Kids" in arithmetic; grades were A or A plus in school on everything, especially good in art. Wrote poems that were published many times. One I especially liked he composed for me. It is called "Mother’s Love." He dedicated it to me, the last Mother’s Day he was living, in New Liberty Church. We averaged going to Missouri once every year. Kings Prairie seems like part of me. I feel so at home when I am back there; so many loved ones are buried there in Kings Prairie Cemetery.
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